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A long-teased report from the LA Times regarding the conduct of senior management at CBS’s Television Stations division (which runs CBS and CW network O&O stations, as well as some independents) has been released, and its contents have left the National Association of Black Journalists calling for the head of the division to be fired.
Two distinct issues here; the first originates in New York. There, CBS own two stations: WCBS 2, and WLNY 10/55, the latter of which they acquired in 2011. The LA Times report reveals the head of CBS Television Stations was given a membership to the ultra-exclusive golf club built by the station’s former owner, in return for buying the station.
Although there were reports of racism and harassment by the heads of the department at stations across the country, the report primarily highlighted misconduct at KYW 3, the CBS O&O station in Philadelphia. According to the LA Times, there have been numerous racism and abuse incidents at the station, with former station news director Margaret Cronan describing working under the executives “toxic”. Included here are quotes from the LA Times highlighted by FTVLive.
Cronan said she received an angry phone call the next morning from management:
CBS are yet to respond to the demands for the removal of the executives involved.
Full story at https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-01-24/cbs-television-stations-peter-dunn-racism-sexism (paywall)
Two distinct issues here; the first originates in New York. There, CBS own two stations: WCBS 2, and WLNY 10/55, the latter of which they acquired in 2011. The LA Times report reveals the head of CBS Television Stations was given a membership to the ultra-exclusive golf club built by the station’s former owner, in return for buying the station.
Although there were reports of racism and harassment by the heads of the department at stations across the country, the report primarily highlighted misconduct at KYW 3, the CBS O&O station in Philadelphia. According to the LA Times, there have been numerous racism and abuse incidents at the station, with former station news director Margaret Cronan describing working under the executives “toxic”. Included here are quotes from the LA Times highlighted by FTVLive.
Quote:
Cronan said, she witnessed racism and experienced verbal insults. At one 2016 meeting, with several executives in attendance, Cronan said Friend asked her: “What are you, a [expletive] idiot?”
Kennedy said that he walked into the KYW newsroom and saw little diversity on air and worked to change that. The Times writes that his first major move was to install a hometown hero, Ukee Washington, as lead evening anchor. Kennedy said the promotion of Washington — a Black journalist who has been with KYW more than 30 years — was long overdue. Washington started at KYW in 1986 as a sports anchor and, a decade later, became morning news anchor, where he remained for 19 years.
Dunn knew Washington from his KYW days and approved the promotion, but Kennedy said in an interview that Dunn frequently disparaged Washington, calling him “just a jive guy.”
“Peter would say: ‘All he does is dance ... dancing, dancing,’” Kennedy recalled in an interview.
In a 2016 budget meeting, Dunn asked about Washington’s transition to lead anchor.
“He’s not doing that ‘jive talking’ anymore? Sometimes, he’s just not speaking my language,” Cronan recalled Dunn saying in the meeting, which was attended by several people. Kennedy separately recalled the incident.
“I was shocked that a corporate head would use words like that to describe an African American,” Cronan said. “Besides, Ukee was such a valuable asset to viewers and internally to our team. I couldn’t believe Peter Dunn would even be questioning his performance.”
Cronan and the others alleged that Dunn and Friend cultivated a hostile work environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.
Kennedy said that he walked into the KYW newsroom and saw little diversity on air and worked to change that. The Times writes that his first major move was to install a hometown hero, Ukee Washington, as lead evening anchor. Kennedy said the promotion of Washington — a Black journalist who has been with KYW more than 30 years — was long overdue. Washington started at KYW in 1986 as a sports anchor and, a decade later, became morning news anchor, where he remained for 19 years.
Dunn knew Washington from his KYW days and approved the promotion, but Kennedy said in an interview that Dunn frequently disparaged Washington, calling him “just a jive guy.”
“Peter would say: ‘All he does is dance ... dancing, dancing,’” Kennedy recalled in an interview.
In a 2016 budget meeting, Dunn asked about Washington’s transition to lead anchor.
“He’s not doing that ‘jive talking’ anymore? Sometimes, he’s just not speaking my language,” Cronan recalled Dunn saying in the meeting, which was attended by several people. Kennedy separately recalled the incident.
“I was shocked that a corporate head would use words like that to describe an African American,” Cronan said. “Besides, Ukee was such a valuable asset to viewers and internally to our team. I couldn’t believe Peter Dunn would even be questioning his performance.”
Cronan and the others alleged that Dunn and Friend cultivated a hostile work environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.
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With Washington’s move to evenings, KYW managers needed to retool the morning show.
Cronan said she had a taste of what was to come. She recalled that during an early meeting with Dunn, he asked her whether one of the anchors under consideration was “too gay for Philadelphia.” Cronan said she was startled but responded: “Philadelphia can handle it.”
Dunn rejected KYW managers’ initial choice for co-anchor: a Black female journalist with CBS News, Kennedy and Cronan said. By late 2015, KYW had reached out to Brooke Thomas, a TV news anchor from Oklahoma who was then working in Dallas. Thomas, who is Black, flew to Philadelphia to interview, and she impressed the team.
“At CBS in Philly, we needed some personality, we needed some bravado, and Brooke had all of that,” Kennedy said.
They waited for a green light from Dunn and Friend, senior vice president for news for CBS-owned stations since 2010. Friend and Dunn have a close working relationship, and their directives are often intertwined, agents and CBS insiders said.
“Neither David nor Peter liked her,” Cronan said of Thomas. “But they finally, begrudgingly, gave us the thumbs-up.”
The morning show reboot took on huge importance. The network companion, “CBS This Morning,” was gaining in the ratings, and KYW saw an opening for its local newscast. The station created a marketing campaign, and Cronan, Thomas and
co-anchor Jim Donovan spent weeks in the studio rehearsing.
Cronan said she had a taste of what was to come. She recalled that during an early meeting with Dunn, he asked her whether one of the anchors under consideration was “too gay for Philadelphia.” Cronan said she was startled but responded: “Philadelphia can handle it.”
Dunn rejected KYW managers’ initial choice for co-anchor: a Black female journalist with CBS News, Kennedy and Cronan said. By late 2015, KYW had reached out to Brooke Thomas, a TV news anchor from Oklahoma who was then working in Dallas. Thomas, who is Black, flew to Philadelphia to interview, and she impressed the team.
“At CBS in Philly, we needed some personality, we needed some bravado, and Brooke had all of that,” Kennedy said.
They waited for a green light from Dunn and Friend, senior vice president for news for CBS-owned stations since 2010. Friend and Dunn have a close working relationship, and their directives are often intertwined, agents and CBS insiders said.
“Neither David nor Peter liked her,” Cronan said of Thomas. “But they finally, begrudgingly, gave us the thumbs-up.”
The morning show reboot took on huge importance. The network companion, “CBS This Morning,” was gaining in the ratings, and KYW saw an opening for its local newscast. The station created a marketing campaign, and Cronan, Thomas and
co-anchor Jim Donovan spent weeks in the studio rehearsing.
Cronan said she received an angry phone call the next morning from management:
Quote:
“It was just immediate screaming on the phone, not constructive criticism — just venom and profanity,” Cronan said. “He screamed: ‘Tell her to shut the [expletive] up,’” in reference to Thomas. “I was flabbergasted,” said Cronan, who kept her notes from that conversation, which The Times has examined. “I’ve never witnessed that type of behavior in the workplace.”
Friend followed up with an email, also reviewed by The Times: “Can you please tell her to stop shouting, stop talking in a fake Southern accent and stop sucking the air out of the show,” Friend wrote.
Friend followed up with an email, also reviewed by The Times: “Can you please tell her to stop shouting, stop talking in a fake Southern accent and stop sucking the air out of the show,” Friend wrote.
CBS are yet to respond to the demands for the removal of the executives involved.
Full story at https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-01-24/cbs-television-stations-peter-dunn-racism-sexism (paywall)